Not all job postings require you to upload a cover letter, and some resume databases don't even allow it. But if you get the chance to do so, take it.
When you send a resume to someone directly, as an attachment to an e-mail, your e-mail acts as a cover letter and creates a first impression of you for the hiring manager. If it's not possible to e-mail the hiring manager directly, uploading your cover letter to an employer's database increases your discoverability and speaks to your professionalism and genuine interest in unique ways.
Recruiters and hiring managers see a well-written cover letter as a sign of professionalism. Taking the time to craft the letter demonstrates your genuine interest in a particular job and company and showcases your communication skills.
Let's look at a powerful and easy-to-create cover letter format: the executive briefing.
The Executive Briefing Cover Letter
When you use the executive briefing structure for your cover letter, you leverage a sophisticated but easy-to-understand format. You'll list the employer's major needs for the job down the left side of the page and the skills you have to meet those needs down the right side of the page.
You can see in this example that the executive briefing format works well because it zeroes in on important information, which makes life easier for the reader. This is an example of an HR Executive Director in the nonprofit world:
John Smith
| City, State | 555.555.1234 | youraddresshere@gmail.com |
Dear
:
As a seasoned HR Executive Director of large nonprofit organizations, I offer vast experience in all aspects of nonprofit management, including volunteer recruitment and training, collaboration with executive boards, strategic planning, public relations, and special events management. The following executive briefing highlights how my background meets your stated position requirements.
| You Require: | My Qualifications: |
| Resource development & fundraising expertise with a proven record of developing and implementing revenue-producing special events |
|
| Nonprofit management experience |
|
| Strategic planning & goal achievement |
|
| Financial management experience |
|
| Skill in communications/publicity |
|
| Programming experience |
|
You will see how my attached resume fleshes out these details, showing a motivated professional with the skills you seek. I look forward to hearing from you and will contact you in a couple of days to arrange a time for us to meet.
Regards,
John Smith
attachment
Skimmable and to-the-point, the executive briefing neatly matches the applicant's skills with the employer's needs. It's easy for the applicant to write and the recipient to read—a win-win situation.
Best-selling author Martin Yate, a career coach and former HR professional, takes your questions each week about how to further your career in HR.
From big issues to small, please feel free to e-mail your queries to YourCareerQA@shrm.org. We'll only publish your first name and city, unless you prefer to remain anonymous—just let us know.
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